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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24847837">Father-Daughter Force-Driven Family Discussions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/salanaland/pseuds/salanaland'>salanaland</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skywalker Family Feels [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker Still Isn't Getting Paid, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Gen, Laundry, Leia Organa Has A Caf Addiction Problem, Skywalker Family Feels, fluff and angst and fluff again</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:41:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24847837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/salanaland/pseuds/salanaland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the entire Resistance almost fits into the Falcon, and "privacy" means that they pretend they don't see or hear their boss talking to herself (or worse).</p><p>Also, Darth Vader's afterlife apparently includes being the Resistance's volunteer independent contractor?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leia Organa &amp; Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Poe Dameron &amp; Leia Organa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skywalker Family Feels [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>270</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The <em>Falcon</em> is far too small to hold the Resistance, diminished though its numbers might be. In tight quarters, tempers flare, even when their revered charismatic leader is sitting right <em>there</em> trying to get enough caf into her body to be functional in the morning.</p><p>It only gets <em>more</em> crowded whenever the ghost of Leia's posthumously-un-estranged birth father shows up. </p><p>"What're you working on?" Anakin makes himself comfortable-ish on the dejarik table of the <em>Falcon</em> and tries to look over the edge of Leia's datapad. </p><p>"Resistance stuff," Leia says absently, gulping some caf as she consults another datapad and makes some adjustments. "Necessary but extremely boring. You'd die again if I told you all the details."</p><p>Anakin looks around at all the sentients jammed into the main living area of the <em>Falcon</em>. "Don't you usually have more room than this on your rebel bases?" </p><p>Leia nods. "Sure, when we set up a new one we'll be able to spread out. Until then..." She hands a third datapad to Anakin. "Feel free to make yourself useful and fix this."</p><p>"Who left all this hair in the 'fresher?" Rose is complaining. "It's too long to be Chewie's. <em>This</em> time."</p><p>"It's been two hundred standard days since my last oil bath," Threepio moans. Anakin glares pointedly at Leia. </p><p>"I can't find my other sock," Poe whines. "I had four socks, and I took two off, but I only have <em>one</em> to put on."</p><p>"Just be happy you have extras," Finn tells him. "I'm not wearing any underwear right now because I only have one pair and I washed it this morning."</p><p>"Too much information," Kaydel complains. "I'm going to ask Rey if there's anywhere we can go to steal chocolate from the First Order."</p><p>"And underwear," Rose suggests.</p><p>"What kind of Sithspawn steals 25% of a man's socks?" Poe asks, melodramatically. </p><p>"Well, it wasn't <em>me</em>," Leia announces. "And my brother's dead, so I'm reasonably sure it wasn't <em>him</em>." She sips her caf loudly in the sudden silence, and closes her eyes. </p><p>Poe stammers, "I, I, I didn't--I mean--" </p><p>Leia smirks just a little. "It's okay. You can call me a <em>Vader tot</em> instead if you like. It's just as true, and sounds funnier." She carefully doesn't look at Anakin, because if his eyes are bugging out, she knows she'll start giggling. </p><p>There's some kind of strangled squeak from someone, as if they're trying really hard not to laugh. Poe turns brick red. </p><p>"Relax," Leia chides him. "I'm not going to slap you. This time. Just <em>think</em> when you're slinging insults around. Because you never know who they might apply to. Right? You go all your life saying 'Wookiee farts' and then one day you meet a Wookiee and now you have to retrain yourself if you like to keep your arms attached."</p><p>"Did that happen?" Rose asks. "Did <em>you</em> used to say 'Wookiee farts' all the time?"</p><p>Leia shakes her head and leans back. "No, <em>I</em> used to call people Sithspawn. That became...a bit awkward eventually. As you can imagine." She waves her hand vaguely. "Enough about me. Go look for your sock, Poe. And someone do <em>something</em> about Finn and his underwear, <em>please</em>."</p><p>There's a few chuckles from various improvised seats, and Anakin hisses, "Don't <em>call</em> yourself names like that!"</p><p>Leia shrugs. "Why not? It's <em>rude</em>, but it's not <em>false</em>." She taps the broken datapad with one chipped fingernail. "Fix it. Please. I need it."</p><p>"It's <em>disrespectful</em> to you, is what it is. You're not... <em>spawn</em>. You were an unplanned, but very much <em>loved</em> and <em>wanted</em> child," Anakin tells her with quiet dignity. </p><p>Leia finds that she can't talk past the lump in her throat, and her eyes are blurry for no reason, so she waves impatiently at the datapad to try to convince Anakin to focus on anything except Important Family Discussions. "Any day now. <em>Some</em> of us aren't getting any younger."</p><p>Anakin rolls his eyes and salutes. "Yes, General! At once, <em>General</em>!" </p><p>Leia tries to scowl through her smile. "Ha ha, you're <em>hilarious</em>."</p><p>Anakin smirks and begins examining the datapad. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"All right, I've figured out what the problem is," Anakin announces. "Some kind of liquid damage. Possibly <em>user error</em>." He looks significantly at Leia's two cups of caf. </p>
<p>Leia drains the second cup and asks, "Is it fixable?" </p>
<p>Anakin nods. "Yes, but maybe <em>certain people</em> should be more <em>careful</em> with their drinks and electronics."</p>
<p>Leia rolls her eyes. "Papa gave me the same lecture four decades ago."</p>
<p>Anakin snorts. "Good to know you don't listen to <em>either</em> of your fathers about some things."</p>
<p>Leia mutters, "I need my caf. And this datapad. Please."</p>
<p>Anakin gestures indignantly at Threepio. "Did your Papa also teach you about properly maintaining your droid family members? Because you didn't seem to listen to <em>that</em> lecture either!" </p>
<p>Leia hunches over the two datapads she's reading, and mumbles, "We don't <em>have</em> enough oil, nor anywhere to let him soak. I'll take care of him as soon as we get a base. I <em>promise</em>. I need the datapad to help me figure out the best place to set up our base."</p>
<p>Anakin sighs. "Won't your rebel friends see things floating around while I'm working on it?" He gestures to where most of the Resistance is waiting impatiently for Poe to finish making griddle cakes in the galley. </p>
<p>"What? Oh, you're trying to be stealthy for <em>me</em>. Thanks, but Kaydel figured out I was talking to you. And between that, Poe seeing you torment the entire Resistance medical staff, and Rey and Finn actually <em>seeing</em> you, I figured, why not just be open about it?" Leia looks up briefly, giving Anakin a pained smile. "I mean, you and I trying to keep each other a secret hasn't worked out too well for the galaxy, has it?"</p>
<p>"You really <em>do</em> blame yourself for this--" Anakin waves his hands vaguely, as if encompassing the whole of the galaxy. "--<em>all</em> this. The First Order, the war. <em>Why</em>?" </p>
<p>Leia scowls. "Because of Ben. If it weren't for <em>me</em>, there'd be no Kylo Ren."</p>
<p>Anakin sighs. "I mean, yes, <em>obviously</em>, you gave <em>birth</em> to him, but you're no more responsible for your son Falling than you are for your father, you know that, right?" </p>
<p>Leia shakes her head briskly. "Not true. Ben is a reflection of how he was raised. And that was primarily my doing."</p>
<p>"But you're a good parent!" Anakin argues. </p>
<p>"You only say that because I'm slightly better than you," Leia insists. "That doesn't mean I'm <em>actually</em> a good mother."</p>
<p>"But you <em>are</em>--" </p>
<p>"I should have told him about you," Leia says evenly, although the pain in her eyes is a yawning abyss that breaks Anakin's heart. "I mean, <em>here</em> I've told a bunch of random sentients, some of whom I've known for just a few <em>days</em>. My own <em>son</em> should not have found out who his grandfather was from a <em>holonet headline.</em>" She drops her gaze back to her datapads, blinking away bitter tears. "That one is entirely <em>my</em> fault. Luke thought I should tell him. <em>Han</em> wanted to tell him! But I was <em>afraid</em>. And look at how it's karked up the galaxy."</p>
<p>Anakin tenderly takes her hands in his, feeling decades worth of blaster calluses, knuckles cracked and bleeding from the parched atmosphere of Crait, fingertips cold and blue from impaired circulation. "Leia. You made <em>one</em> big mistake. You're permitted to make a mistake."</p>
<p>"Not when it causes so much suffering for so many, I'm not."</p>
<p>Anakin shakes his head. "It didn't. Ben caused suffering, and yes, your mistake <em>affected</em> him, it <em>influenced</em> who he chose to be. But it didn't <em>make</em> him do terrible things." He clasps her hands tightly. "No matter what he or anyone else might say. A mistake, even a tremendous one, made out of love and good intentions, doesn't make someone turn to the Dark Side."</p>
<p>Leia snorts. "Then what does, Father? What <em>does</em>?" The disbelief and sarcasm in her voice veer sharply into a desperate plea for understanding. </p>
<p>Anakin holds her gaze, knowing that she can see some reflection of the memories that haunt him. "A <em>choice</em>. A choice, every day, to follow the Dark. And it becomes a <em>habit</em>, but it's always a <em>choice</em> that can be made, every time." His hoarse whisper trembles. "Just like you <em>choose</em> every day to wake up and do what you know is right." He leans over to touch his forehead to hers, reverently. "<em>You</em> are the strongest and the best of us all, you know. You have lost your brother, your parents, your child, and your beloved. You have been betrayed, and lied to, and seen your friends and your life's work destroyed around you. You returned from the brink of death to <em>save</em> people. <em>You freed yourself</em>. You have gone through <em>everything</em> that <em>anyone</em> else in our family has suffered, and you have chosen the Light, <em>every single time</em>. Which is why you're obviously the <em>best</em> Skywalker." He kisses the top of her head, then grins and turns Leia's datapad over, levitating the back panel off of it. </p>
<p>Leia snorts. "I know I used the Dark Side once. With Jabba."</p>
<p>Anakin dismisses this with a sweeping hand gesture. "Yeah, but the thing is, you didn't <em>keep</em> using it. Because you're the <em>best</em>." He rearranges several components without touching them, and adds thoughtfully, "Luke drew on it for a moment also, fighting me on the Death Star."</p>
<p>"He <em>did</em>? He never told me that."</p>
<p>"I had just found out that I had a wonderful, brilliant, <em>powerful</em> daughter." Anakin grins hugely, then frowns. "And I foolishly said that perhaps I could turn <em>you</em> to the Dark Side to join me. Because obviously I'd want <em>you</em> to actually rule the galaxy, you'd do a <em>much</em> better job of it than I ever could. And then, well, Luke got very protective, which I probably would have expected if I'd been <em>thinking</em>, and then he cut off my hand," he adds nonchalantly, waving his prosthetic hand. </p>
<p>Leia blinks, then smiles slightly. "I hope you realize that I <em>absolutely</em> would have refused to turn, if for no other reason than to spite <em>you</em>." </p>
<p>"I <em>absolutely</em> know that. Now. I was <em>really</em> stupid then."</p>
<p>Leia laughs, surprised at his blunt admission. "And now?" </p>
<p>"Somewhat less stupid. Due to my amazing daughter's good influence, mostly." Anakin squints meaningfully at some wires and they untangle themselves. </p>
<p>Leia frowns, dropping her gaze to the holotable. "I wish my good influence extended to Ben."</p>
<p>"It does," Anakin assures her. "<em>He</em> didn't shoot you out into space." He bites his lip and liquid metal beads up on one of the components, then branches out in a new pattern. </p>
<p>"Faint praise," Leia comments drily. "<em>You</em> didn't blow up my home planet, either." She cranes her neck to watch, interested. "Is it hard? To do this, as a ghost?" </p>
<p>"Mmm," Anakin answers non-committally, still focusing on the datapad. "It's not a question of <em>power</em>, but of <em>control</em>. I could burn the whole thing if I wanted to, but aiming that heat <em>just</em> at the circuits that've been corroded, that's much harder." He looks up briefly at Leia. "Not as hard as convincing my daughter not to spill caf on her stuff, but still difficult."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So how much power <em>can</em> you draw on now?" Leia asks curiously, wrinkling her nose as the datapad begins to smell much like scorched caf. </p>
<p>Anakin shrugs. "I don't know. I've <em>always</em> been absurdly overpowered. I've never been too <em>weak</em> to do anything. I just haven't known <em>how</em>." He smiles ruefully. "Or I haven't had enough control."</p>
<p>"You never used to do stuff before," Leia points out.</p>
<p>"Didn't know how," Anakin says, distracted, as he pokes a ghostly prosthetic finger through the datapad. It turns on and begins going through some fairly obscure diagnostics. "Didn't realize it was possible. Then I needed to help you, and I found I could."</p>
<p>"<em>Needed</em>?" Leia frowns.</p>
<p>"Of course. You're my <em>daughter</em>. If there's something I <em>can</em> do to help you, then I <em>need</em> to do it." Anakin finishes the diagnostics on the datapad and begins reassembling it. </p>
<p>"Has anyone ever told you that you're irritatingly overprotective?" </p>
<p>"<em>You</em> have, many times." Anakin grins as he hands her the datapad. "There was corrosion on the motherboard and I had to reroute a lot of circuitry," he reports. "It should be much faster now. And harder to slice into."</p>
<p>Leia snorts. "Have I ever mentioned that you don't have to overcompensate quite so much?" </p>
<p>"I'm not overcompensating," Anakin insists seriously. "<em>Over</em>compensating means that there's some level of compensating that's <em>appropriate</em>, and we both know that there isn't, not for how awful <em>I've</em> been." His frown twitches into the hint of a half-smile. "Also, even if I had never done all those terrible things, I'd be <em>just</em> as overprotective and excessively helpful and aggravatingly attentive as I am now."</p>
<p>Leia shakes her head, amused. "Of that I have no doubt."</p>
<p>Someone in the galley gripes loudly, "What son of a Sith drank all the caf and didn't put on a new pot?" </p>
<p>"Not my brother," Leia calls out. Finn, walking through with an armful of laundry he'd been drying on the hyperdrive, snorts with laughter when Anakin catches his eye and points at Leia. </p>
<p>"Nobody likes a tattle-telling ghost," Leia grumbles, trying to hide her smile behind the recently repaired datapad.</p>
<p>"<em>You</em> like me!" Anakin says, mock-offended. "Oh, <em>fine</em>." He makes a rude noise, but subsides into fondly watching her read and plan. "Dearest darling daughter, precious perfect princess, light of my afterlife, would you like me to boil some water before your fellow rebels plot a caf-related coup?" he asks eventually. </p>
<p>Leia rolls her eyes. "Why, thank you, my favorite Force ghost father." She adds with a giggle, "Caf coups are the <em>most</em> ignominious."</p>
<p>Anakin smiles adoringly at his daughter, then turns his telekinetic attention to the galley. </p>
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